|

Silver surges as Treasury buyback plan sinks the US Dollar

  • Silver (XAG/USD) jumps near $65.80, riding a broad precious-metals rally.
  • The US Treasury's plan to double long-dated debt buybacks has knocked the US Dollar and long-end Treasury yields lower.
  • July FOMC Minutes shows officials still see inflation as elevated.

Silver (XAG/USD) trades sharply higher on Wednesday, changing hands near $65.80. The metal is riding a broad rally across precious metals with Gold (XAU/USD) soaring toward $4,500.

The trigger was the United States (US) Department of the Treasury, which said it will increase, by at least double, the size of its liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated coupon securities, effective September 9. The plan aims to rein in the recent surge in long-end yields, and it did just that.

The other set-piece of the session was the release of the July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes. The record showed policymakers still regard inflation as elevated, with the labor market stable and the economy expanding. It also confirmed the divergence at the meeting, where three officials, regional Fed Presidents Lorie Logan, Beth Hammack and Neel Kashkari, voted for a rate hike.

Even so, the Minutes did little to shift the mood. Traders treated them as backward-looking, since the debate they captured took place before softer July inflation data and a weak jobs report that showed a 23K fall in payrolls. Markets now price in only a 34% chance of a September rate hike, down from around 60% three weeks ago, with a hold the clear base case. That softer rate path keeps the backdrop friendly for metals.

Chart Analysis XAG/USD

Short-term technical analysis:

On the 4-hour chart, XAG/USD trades at $65.77, maintaining a bullish near-term bias as it holds above both the 20-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $64.84 and the 100-period SMA at $62.16. The configuration of these underlying averages suggests the uptrend remains supported, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 58 stays in positive territory without reaching overbought conditions, hinting that bullish momentum is constructive but not stretched.

On the topside, immediate resistance appears at the horizontal barrier at $65.92, where a break would open the way for a continuation of the advance. On the downside, initial support is seen at $65.29, ahead of the 20-period SMA at $64.84, with deeper demand zones at $63.83 and $63.54, followed by the 100-period SMA near $62.16, which reinforces the broader bullish structure as long as it holds.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Author

Agustin Wazne

Agustin Wazne joined FXStreet as a Junior News Editor, focusing on Commodities and covering Majors.

More from Agustin Wazne
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD advances to three-month peak beyond 1.3600

GBP/USD extends its daily rally and trades at its highest level since mid-May above 1.3600. The US Treasury Department decision to double the sice of liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated nominal coupon securitiez weighs heavily on the US Dollar and helps the pair push higher. Earlier in the day, the data from the UK showed that annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation picked up to 2.9% in July, meeting estimates, while core CPI rose by 2.6% YoY in July versus 2.5% expected.

EUR/USD surges to 11-week high above 1.1650 after US Treasury announcement

EUR/USD gathers bullish momentum and trades at its highest level since early June above 1.1650 on Wednesday. The US Dollar stays under heavy bearish pressure after the US Treasury announced that it will increase the size of liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated nominal coupon securities. Later in the day, investors will scrutinize FOMC Minutes for fresh clues on policy outlook.

Gold climbs 2% as US Treasury buyback plan pressures long-term yields

Gold (XAU/USD) enters Wednesday’s American trading hours with decent intraday gains, as a softer US Dollar (USD) and a sharp pullback in long-term US Treasury yields help the metal recover all the previous day’s losses.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP defend key support as ETF inflows return

Bitcoin’s upside remains capped on Wednesday while the downside appears strongly supported above $64,000. The Crypto King’s early week rebound lost momentum near $65,000 as investors assessed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

WTI Oil climbs as US-Iran standoff keeps Middle East supply risks elevated
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil holds firm on Wednesday, hovering near its highest level in more than three weeks as traders balance Middle East supply risks against rising US crude inventories. At the time of writing, the US benchmark trades around $85.20 per barrel, up nearly 1% on the day.
Why is Crude Oil priced for a reopening the ships haven't made?
Fourteen vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Before the war, the count ran near 120 a day. In the sessions since the waterway was publicly declared open, Brent has drifted back to $87 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to $81, both a little lower again on Wednesday, with daily momentum on each unwound from the top of its range in late July to the low twenties now.